Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The Mitchell family sold Belle Mont and 33 of the surrounding acres to their friends Isaac and Catherine Baker Jones Winston, who were also from Virginia, in 1833. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. So all the people who work at these historic plantations, regardless of their race, sex, or income, must suffer the economic consequences of what feelings their employers history might provoke. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. The answer will always be a mystery. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Slavery Plantation Agriculture Robert J. Vejnar, Kennesaw State University Dogtrot Cabin at Belle Mont Plantation Plantation agriculture was a form of large-scale farming that was most prevalent during the colonial and antebellum periods of American history. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Visiting here is an opportunity to explore one of the few 1850s era homes still standing in Nashville while learning about the place and the people -- both free and enslaved -- who make this site worth understanding. She was caught due to a news story that came out in the local paper about the travesties of vandalism happening to the historic landmark by local youth. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. Well, all in all, me and my fellow troop members and family members spent about six weeks there, clearing underbrush, old trash, planting grass, removing small trees, etc. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. I mention this because Gay Mont was his home. All rights reserved. William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. Will we need Google to warn us that searching for such places or even worse, planning a vacation to visit them are microaggressive acts, as if we are unable to contemplate both the good and bad of such places? My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Although the actual design of Belle Mont is a mystery, this particular relationship provides a clue about the original designer, or at least his influence.The source of Belle Monts design is shrouded in mystery, but tantalizing clues suggest the direct influence of President Thomas Jefferson, gentlemen architect of the early Republic, the official Belle Mont pamphlet states (Commission 2). Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. Forts, Battlefields & Archaeological Sites, Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, Documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery, Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home, To apply for film/photo permit, please send requests to. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), NPS Investigation & Research Education Resource, World Institute for Scientific Exploration (WISE), http://www.mystery411.com/Landing_bellemonttuscumbia.html. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A mural of the Clotilda adorns a concrete embankment in Africatown, a community near Mobile founded by Africans illegally transported to Alabama aboard the slave ship. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house.http://bellemont.weebly.com/history.htmlhttp://www.mystery411.com/Landing_bellemonttuscumbia.html. The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. We might also remember that many of the most celebrated and visited historical sites in our country are Southern manors built and worked by slaves: Mount Vernon (itself a wedding venue), Monticello (another wedding venue), and Montpelier (also a wedding venue) among them. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Administrative use only. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. After finding lesson plans asking Alabama fourth-graders to write their own slave narratives, experts talk about the hardships of teaching slavery on an elementary school level. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. This area of the property can be accessed from the master bedroom through a large door with a window that leads directly to the courtyard area, which is where the detached kitchen would have been accessed as well.The Mitchell family sold Belle Mont and 33 of the surrounding acres to their friends Isaac and Catherine Baker Jones Winston, who were also from Virginia, in 1833. Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. One day toward the end of the project, My friend Ronnie and I went down to remove what was left from an old tree my Dad had cut down the day before and other light work. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. ?????? It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. The answer will always be a mystery. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Be specific. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. My Dad bought it at that time. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. The Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. By the following year, in 1890, all the houses occupied by enslaved Blacks on the estate had been destroyed, leaving no physical presence for interpretation. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. Plantations represent none of those things, declared a Pinterest spokesman, calling the glamorization of these estates a disrespectful practice. Pinterest visitors who search for plantation weddings or similar terms will now be warned that some results may violate the sites policies, de facto making plantations the equivalent of pornography. Heading south about to pass by the Belmont sign, and not having said a word in at least 15 Min, my son asks a question pointing precisely in the direction of the house, not visible in the daytime, let alone at pitch black night, Daddy, who is that man? to which I reply, What man? Advertised as an event where people can experience the "hospitality of the Old South", "A Plantation Christmas" was held at the Belle Mont Mansion on Sunday evening. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. Jones says her new title is one she holds . 68 were here. Simply by virtue of ones social justice warrior credentials and alleged victimhood status, these people deputize themselves the cultural police of our history, our language, and now apparently our wedding venues. Clicks to Website: 293 Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. You feel things passing by you. Owning 1,680 acres of cotton and corn, Dr. Mitchell became known as one of the largest planters in the area before he quickly sold the mansion and the surrounding land one year after its completion. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Moreover, the entire. One night while we were both watching TV in the den with the lights off, we both saw two colored orbs gliding through the room from the back door toward the closet, then they disappeared. Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! Please report any inaccuracies. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. Happy haunting! Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation, Inc. is the support group in charge of operating the site. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. We went back there, and I finished the project, with help from all was involved. Related Videos Video #1 The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. Id suggest a far better solution for prospective newlyweds, regardless of race or ethnicity, would be to get married where they should: in a church. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. e prior to the Civil War. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Last edit to this listing: 1/16/2016 (2604 days ago). Visitors to this page: 3,182 Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Do not use all capital letters. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. Officials from multiple wedding-planning websites recently announced they are either no longer advertising plantation wedding venues or making those venues harder to find on their websites. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. However, the pamphlet continues by claiming that, characteristics of Jeffersonian Classicism are exhibited at Belle Mont, including finely executed brickwork with contrasting woodwork and a hilltop setting. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The Alabama Historical Commission owns this historic site. All rights reserved. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. Violence against blacks and other disenfranchised groups have occurred across our nation's landscape, many in popular and well-trod locales, North and South, East and West. Today the Belmont Mansion Association, which was formed in 1972, owns the collection, runs the museum, and shares this unique story of 19th century Nashville with visitors from far and near. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. I contacted the historic society to find out about the planned restoration project that I had heard about, and asked if I could assist as part of my Eagle Scout project in the Boy Scouts. A Pinterest representative, for example, announced that the website is working on de-indexing Google searches for plantation wedding. In December, a coalition of Alabama activists protested a Plantation Christmas event held at the Belle Mont Mansion near Tuscumbia, Alabama, because it memorialized white supremacist celebrations of Christmas. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . "While the holidays brought a brief respite from work, many enslaved people took the opportunity to escape the bondage of the plantation," the letter said. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. Blanket from Belle Mont Mansion. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. Doors open and close. Be happy. The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. Home > Historical Buildings > Belle Mont Mansion A former slave plantation, it is believed to be haunted by slaves that lived and died here and also possibly by the ghosts of its former owners. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. . No profanity. Moreover, are the perpetrators of our historical-cultural cleansing so naive to think their children and grandchildren wont do the same thing to them, who have fostered and encouraged a paradigm of national seppuku? I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Me and a group of Freinds went out there one night and we first get there we get out the car and walking up the hill to the house and I get a snapchat (popular app used by teens) from someone I dont even got added and he said Im behind you then he sent another one and said I know where you are and I sent a snap and said where am I the. 3. 10 years later, I relayed the story for the first time to him the day my wife and I decided to visit the place and asked him if he would like to go see the man he saw that night. he respectfully declined. Then they could celebrate their wedding reception at a Southern manor and have a hell of a good time. I was amazed at the huge floor joist under the house, then I had that feeling someone had walked up behind me, I thought it was Ronnie, at that time I noticed some graffiti that had been put there, and asked Ronnie what he thought about, but when I turned around, Iwas there by myself. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. Voice your opinion here! Your email address will not be published. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. I know someone who used to volunteer at Belle Mont, which is open for tours, and she said the house was definitely haunted by a woman, possibility a former mistress or daughter who once lived in the house. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . This area of the property can be accessed from the master bedroom through a large door with a window that leads directly to the courtyard area, which is where the detached kitchen would have been accessed as well. Built between 1828 and 1832 in the Jeffersonian style, Belle Mont was originally the home of Dr. Alexander Mitchell, who quickly sold the building to one Isaac Winston in 1833. Your email address will not be published. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. This celebration clearly ignores the perspective of those who experienced Belle Mont as a forced labor camp., Slavery hard to teach in Cotton State of Alabama, elementary educators say. So I like have some family history about the mansion and my aunt found a man and fell in love with him and they both LOVE history and so they both had there wedding at the Belle mont mansion and I was the flower girl and I havent seen the upstairs of the mansion so Im not sure if it really is haunted I really want to find out more the reason why I started searching this up was bc my great aunt works at my school library and she started talking about it and reading us storys about it. In 1983, concerned about the condition of the house, members of the Winston family donated Belle Mont and 33 surrounding acres to the Alabama Historical Commission.The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Belmont Mansion, or Belle Monte as it was known in the 19th century, was not a plantation but still relied on a large number of enslaved workers to maintain the estate. I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, and one would have to be a clinical narcissist to think future generations wont find us at fault for any number of things. Things seem to be at their worst after midnight, until early dawn. Belmont Mansion, or Belle Monte as it was known in the 19th century, was not a plantation but still relied on a large number of enslaved workers to maintain the estate. Founded in 2008, AlabamaHauntedHouses.com is a simple and unique online haunted event & attraction resource created to make it easy for locals to find Haunted House, Spook Walk, Corn Maze, and other Halloween Attractions in their local area. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Group rates available. Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. Owning 1,680 acres of cotton and corn, Dr. Mitchell became known as one of the largest planters in the area before he quickly sold the mansion and the surrounding land one year after its completion. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. I came out of the cellar and saw Ronnie sitting in my truck, so I asked if he had came into the cellar, he told me no. The home was built. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. Top ways to experience Belle Mont Mansion and nearby attractions Florence, Muscle Shoals Multi-Attraction Pass 2 Attractions & Museums from $25.00 per adult Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Tour in Sheffield Alabama 72 Recommended Walking Tours from $20.00 per adult The Raptor, High Rope Course and Zipline Tickets, Wheeler Lake KOA 1 The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned.The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. My son says, Yes, hes walking to the house. Having passed the sign and turn to the house, I realized there is no way he could have known of the house based on his not being able to read and having no pre-exposure to the houses existence. We also dont need to police their repurposing. In a letter sent to multiple Alabama Historical Commission officials Tuesday night, the coalition demanded an apology as well as a promise to no longer hold events supporting tours and events that "deny the brutality of the past." According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, Georgia Senate Passes Bill To Close Sneaky 'Zuckbucks 2.0' Loopholes, 3 Things Anti-America Agitator Angela Davis Can Learn From Her Pilgrim Ancestors, Just Like Real Socialism, Real Feudalism Has Never Been Tried, Amid Personal Loss, Washington And Lincoln Became Fathers Of Their Country. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Monte, Belle Mont or Belmont, is a historic mansion located in Nashville, Tennessee. Moreover, blacks, both free and slave, provided the bulk of labor that built the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and other early government buildings. But fewer probably know that it . Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. What do you think? I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. Will NOT be displayed. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Today the Belmont Mansion Association, which was formed in 1972, owns the collection, runs the museum, and shares this unique story of 19th century Nashville with visitors from far and near. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Magnificently sited on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont is one of early Alabama's crowning architectural achievements.. Mitchell became known as one of the largest planters in the area before he quickly sold the mansion and the surrounding land one year after its completion. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. A former slave plantation, it is believed to be haunted by slaves that lived and died here and also possibly by the ghosts of its former owners. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940.
